DAP’s Batu Kawan incumbent steps aside, denies being dropped
Kasthuri Patto will not be defending the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat in Penang, which she has held since 2013.
The daughter of the late senior DAP leader P Patto said she wanted to make room for new leaders and denied being dropped as a candidate.
Describing it as the hardest decision of her life, Kasthuri, 43, said: "I wish to announce that I am stepping down gracefully and not contesting in the coming elections to make way for future leaders in the DAP and for Malaysia.
“I will be forever indebted to the party for providing me a platform to serve the people and nation for two terms as MP for Batu Kawan," she added in a statement today.
According to Kasthuri (above), she wanted to devote her time to championing human rights issues.
“Namely on the abolition of the death penalty, criminalising child marriages, gender inclusivity, civil liberties and social justice for all on a different platform with Malaysia close to my heart and the principles of the DAP as my moral compass.
"In the wise words of (DAP veteran) Lim Kit Siang, the party is catapulting me to the world and I appreciate the support from the party to pursue this," she added.
Kasthuri also thanked her supporters and voters in Batu Kawan for giving her the opportunity to represent them in the Dewan Rakyat for two terms.
She first won the Batu Kawan seat in the 2013 general election with a majority of 25,962 votes. She retained the seat in the 2018 polls with an even bigger majority of 33,553 votes.
She has always been more of an NGO activist than an MP.
ReplyDeleteSome of her NGO advocacy has sat uncomfortably with DAP's positions
Strange action by DAP to sideline an incumbent who won with a high majority last time out.
ReplyDeleteIs the strategy of DAP to take out the incumbents from ones that have developed into "safe" seats for DAP and parachuting new candidates?
Meantime the old incumbents either retire or are placed elsewhere and hopefully gain new seats?
In Patto case, she is so young and making room for "future" leaders?
Or are there things DAP knows that the public is not aware of?